What Drama! Croatian Women Come Back From 4:12 to Win and Take 3 Big Points at the World Cup

The Croatian U17 women's volleyball team demonstrated remarkable character and secured three vital points at the World Championship with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Spain. This win came less than 20 hours after their 0-3 defeat to Japan, showcasing the team's ability to rebound from disappointment.

Coach Ceca Ilić acknowledged the different style of play from the Japanese team but expressed regret over the lost first set, believing it could have changed the match's trajectory. However, the team quickly refocused for their match against Spain. They secured an incredibly important first set 29:27, overcoming two set points for the Spanish team in a tense, back-and-forth battle.

Croatia experienced a momentary lapse in concentration in the second set, falling behind 12:8, but a 7-0 run shifted the momentum. Although Spain managed to tie the score at 16:16, Croatia regained the lead and closed out the set 25:22. The third set saw a significant dip in Croatia's performance, with Spain building a substantial lead, at one point 20:14. Despite a late comeback attempt by Croatia to tie the score at 21:21, Spain ultimately won the set 25:22.

The final set was a nail-biter, with Spain taking a commanding 12:4 lead. However, the Croatian team, fueled by excellent team spirit, mounted an impressive comeback, erasing an eight-point deficit. A combined 11-2 run gave them a 15:14 lead, and they extended it to 18:15. In a thrilling finish, Croatia scored five consecutive points to win the set 25:19, securing the match and three crucial points.

Official statistics highlighted Croatia's dominance in attack (51-41), blocks (11-8), and serves (12-6), though they committed more errors (38 to Spain's 27). Emilija Stojić and Erin Ivezić were the top scorers with 21 points each, contributing significantly with blocks and aces. Lana Drviš added 14 points, including three aces.

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The Japanese play a different kind of volleyball than we are used to, but we regret losing the first set in which we had many of our own chances and which, if it had gone our way, could have led the match in completely different directions. This way it went for one ball to the opponents' side and determined the further course of the match.